We begin tonight with a historically fraught relationship in the pre-election spotlight. At the Assembly of First Nations annual meeting in Montreal, Grand Chief Perry Bellegarde equated aboriginal voter turnout in the scheduled Oct. 19 federal election with national reconciliation, saying now is the time to mobilize while Canadians still have the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission fresh in their minds. “Reconciliation involves all Canadians … I believe Canadians want their political leaders to do the right thing,” Bellegarde said. NDP Leader Tom Mulcair and Liberal Leader Justin Trudeau made back-to-back speeches today, with both unfurling campaign-style lists of promises to the group. Neither Prime Minister Stephen Harper nor Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt is scheduled to address the meeting. Our Kristie Smith reports from the meeting.

“The Conservative government made more than 70 patronage appointments over two days last month, filling up federal boards, tribunals and panels in advance of the October election,” The Ottawa Citizen‘s Glen McGregor reports.

It seems nothing the Senate of Canada does comes cheap. CBC is reporting that the renovations to the old Ottawa railway station, where senators are to be re-housed while Centre Block is renovated in 2018, have gone over-budget by $29 million.

Canada’s annual exports to the European Union will increase by $1.4 billion by 2022 — about 6 to 8 per cent — as a result of lower tariffs that could come from a Canada-EU trade agreement, says a new report released Tuesday by the Conference Board of Canada. Our Kelsey Johnson has the details.

The same technology behind Israel’s Iron Dome missile defence system will soon be used in Guelph, Ontario’s smart grid system, thanks to a new partnership between the Israeli company behind the technology and a Canadian construction firm. Our Amanda Connolly has the details.

Vancouver Mayor Gregor Robertson will be the only Canadian among global municipal leaders meeting with Pope Francis on climate change at the Vatican July 21st. “It’s telling that the Pope is reaching out to mayors as part of his direct-action agenda to tackle climate action and poverty because we’re on the front lines of it,” Robertson said in an interview with CP.